When the time has come to respond, various members of the Notre Dame football team have responded with a run, a pass, a tackle or a kick that keep Irish believing

The first 12-team version of the College Football Playoff has reached the national championship game and it will be Notre Dame against heavily favored Ohio State. The tantalizing matchup comes after some wondered if the CFP selection committee got it right.

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has lost at home against the likes of Marshall, Northern Illinois and Stanford. He's only been a head coach for three years and, largely due to Notre Dame's status as an independent,